How To Encourage Your Kids to Tidy Up

Children love making a mess, don’t they? But when it comes to cleaning up, that’s where the problem arises. Usually, it’s the parents who tidy up after them, when they are quite capable of doing so themselves! Parents are always nagging and asking them to keep their rooms tidy. Teaching children to tidy up is a long-term process and the earlier your kids develop this habit, the better they will become.

Here are some tips that you can follow to encourage your child to be tidy and neat.

Set a good example and communicate with them.

Often times, children are much more sensitive to what we do rather than what we say. Which is why, setting a good example when it comes to tidying up after yourself is vital, especially if you want them to adopt the same habits. Taking pride in looking after your home and keeping your belongings in order will increase the odds that your kids will have a positive attitude towards doing the same.

Next is to communicate. You can start with a simple conversation explaining to them how germs travel. When you notice clothes on the floor or how they don’t pick up their dirty dishes, you may always explain how unhygienic it is. Make them understand that it is their responsibility to keep their belongings organised. By doing so, we are also teaching them the importance of being responsible. If they know that they are in charge of something and that people are relying on them, they are much more likely to follow through.

Stick to a routine.

First and foremost, it is important for parents to clarify their expectations clearly. This makes it easier for children to grasp and follow the requirements if you provide them with the specifics. Break it down into simple rules and make them into a colourful poster, which can then be hung on their bedroom wall or pinned on the fridge. Not only will this serve as a nice reminder, but this can also be used to track your progress.

Begin by having your kids make their beds every morning as this is a great way to create a sense of responsibility. After that, teach your kids to put things back where they belong. These can be books or even toys. Everything should have a proper place and your kids need to know exactly where that is. Provide a catch-all basket as an easy place to store things which makes it neat and tidy. Show a “tidy-as-you-go” approach, in which they should pick up one thing that is out of place and put it back in its rightful place as they pass through a room.

Provide them with options. Part of what makes doing chores feel like a punishment is when you have no say in it. Don’t push them too hard. Instead, make it fun and exciting so they don’t feel obligated. You can always encourage your kids to organise their things in their own way and method. This helps them with taking ownership of the process and exercising the logic of assigning things properly. Make it a practice for your kids to clean up their toy boxes and closets on a regular basis.

Give them rewards.

Keep a chart in the kitchen or in another visible spot. Give your child stickers to put on the chart as soon as they finish their tasks. However, if cleaning up is an issue for your little ones, consider letting them earn something bigger after collecting a certain number of stickers. Additionally, be sure to compliment your child on their hard work. Draw their attention to how nice the room now looks and encourage them to take pride in what they have done.

To conclude, cleanliness should be nurtured and practiced on a regular basis. You will need to be extremely patient with the ones who never seem to notice that there is no floor space left to walk on in their rooms. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to teach your children to be orderly, but it is well worth the effort. In the long run, it will save you the time and effort.